He told deputies he had been working as a contractor in the days before his arrest and came into contact with people who had been quarantined for coronavirus, Salazar said.

“That scenario actually seems pretty unrealistic from what we're hearing,” the sheriff said. “Since the claim was made, we want to make sure that were acting appropriately.”

University Health System officials examined the man, and Salazar said it’s more likely the inmate has the flu or a cold.

Jail officials have isolated him in a “negative pressure cell” that prevents any contaminated air from spreading to other parts of the building. He will remain there until doctors give him clearance to move elsewhere.

Also Sunday, the city of San Antonio said several Bexar County residents, as a precaution, are self-quarantined in their homes after returning from China.

Since Friday, 91 evacuees from China have been quarantined in a hotel on San Antonio Joint Base-Lackland base. No one in Bexar County has been diagnosed with the illness.

Twelve cases have been reported in the U.S. and 40,000 people have been diagnosed globally. The death toll has climbed to more than 900.